USGS Water-Year Summary 2024
07124410 PURGATOIRE RIVER BELOW TRINIDAD LAKE, CO
LOCATION - Lat 37°08'38", long 104°32'50" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in NE 1/4 SW 1/4 sec.27, T.33 S., R.64 W., Las Animas County, CO, Hydrologic Unit 11020010, on left bank of dam outlet 500 ft downstream from base of Trinidad Dam, 0.8 mi upstream from Santa Fe Railroad bridge, and 3.0 mi southwest of courthouse in Trinidad.
DRAINAGE AREA - 673 mi².
REVISIONS HISTORY - WDR-US-2011: Drainage area.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - December 1976 to current year.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder with satellite telemetry, and concrete control. Datum of gage is 6,073.64 ft above NGVD of 1929 (levels by U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers). A supplementary water-stage recorder about 1,000 ft downstream, at same datum, is used when flows exceeded approximately 900 ft³/s.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge, 2,040 ft³/s (estimated), May 11, 2017, no associated gage height due to gaging station unable to gage flows higher than about 1000 ft³/s, due to a hydraulic jump at the control.